BOSTON -- Smart Lunches, a Web-based provider of "healthy" meals for children outside of the home, has expanded its services to the Greater Philadelphia area. The Boston-based company's services also include Smart Snax vending machines in some locations.

The company said its services will begin in September at three of the region's inaugural partner private schools. Parents and staff will be able to go online beginning in mid-August to order hot and cold meals, snacks and drinks from menus automatically customized for their school calendar as well as their individual taste preferences and food allergies.

Smart Lunches already delivers thousands of freshly made lunches every week in southern New England to 140 elementary and middle schools, summer camps and daycare and early childhood education centers. The company contracts directly with parents at the schools and gives back a share of its annual revenues to the facilities as part of the partnership.

The company also announced an agreement with the Philadelphia Area Independent Schools Business Officers Association to provide a combination of lunch and vending services to its members. The group of 179 member schools in the greater Philadelphia area was formed as a purchasing consortium and offers a range of services to its members.

"This program is well designed and provides a flexible option for our schools to provide a nutritious option for student lunches," commented Al Greenough, associate director of the organization. "It fits nicely with our wellness and farm-to-school initiatives in terms of education and support of student, staff and faculty healthy eating practices."